(Also LOVE. These are FOR SALE! They are gorgeous, but far too expensive for me to justify wearing for only one day, so if you want â€˜em, let me know! They are an 8.5 and are in good condition. I got some dirt on the heel (I sunk into the grass), but it should clean up okay. I will send pics of the actual shoes if youâ€™re interested.)

And hankies from The Snotty Bride Home Page I got them the ivory Sweetheart Gown with their first initial on the front and the date on the back.

We also got our moms the Princess Gown with â€œMother of the Groomâ€ and â€œMommy of the Brideâ€ plus the date on the back. (Mommy of the Bride is a bit of an inside joke in my family because when I was a rambunctious teenager frustrated with life, I frequently snarled â€œMo-THERâ€ when I was frustrated with her and she always wanted me to call her â€œMommyâ€. Despite my frequent reminders that Iâ€™m 30 and cannot respectably call her â€œMommyâ€, she still prefers that moniker, so I thought itâ€™d be cute to put it on her hankie. That way sheâ€™ll have it, at least once, and it will last forever!)

BM Dresses:

Dresses were from Bridesmaid Dresses and Formal Gowns: The Dessy Group, and I told the girls to pick any dress that was tea-length, in nu-georgette fabric, and was in midnight. It worked out great! They all have very different taste and they all looked WONDERFUL! And the fabric was fantastic. I wanted the flowy look, and the nu-georgette fabric is a bit heavier than chiffon, so it was still very flowy, but we werenâ€™t worried about flashing anybody as the wind came in from the sea. Several girls ordered from Netbride - discount bridal gowns, wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and were pleased with the experience!

GM Attire: The groomsmen all just wore their own Charcoal grey suits with white shirts. We provided the tie as a gift. They were from Banana Republic, but it doesnâ€™t look like they have them anymore. There were Navy and Light Blue checked.

Hereâ€™s the script for our non-religious, but incredibly spiritual ceremony. Also shamelessly pilfered from here, Offbeat, and Indie.

Ceremony Readings: (If you donâ€™t want to open the attachment)

Reading #1: Native American Blessing

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth.

Reading #2: (MY FAVORITE) Union â€“ by Robert Fulghum

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with "When we're married" and continued with "I will and you will and we will" - those late night talks that included "someday" and "somehow" and "maybe" - and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart.

All these common things, and more, are the real process of wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, "You know all those things we've promised and hoped and dreamed - well, I meant it all, every word."

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another - acquaintance, friend, companion, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this - is my husband, this - is my wife.

Congratulations! Today is your day! You're off to great places! You're off and away!

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourselves any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the TWO who'll decide where to go.

Out there things can happen And frequently do To people as brainy And footsy as you.

You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers Who soar to high heights!

You'll get mixed up, of course, As you already know, You'll get mixed up With so many strange birds as you go. So be sure where you step, Step with care and great tact, And remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act.

And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed!

KIDS, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So, be your name Buxbaum or Shannon or Jeff or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting So...get on your way!

Programs:

I completely forgot about programs and ordered them in a rush from

On the back page of the program, we included â€œthank yousâ€ to family and friends and the lyrics to Henry Manciniâ€™s â€œTwo for the Roadâ€.

Table Names:

As folks arrived to the reception, there was a table holding there placecards along with a sign that read: â€œTo keep the adventurous spirit alive, tables have been named after locations that Jeff and Shannon have not yet explored and hope to visit in the future. Let the journey continue!â€ And table names were Patagonia, Serengeti, Fiji, Belize, etc. I used the Zapfino font for these as well and printed them all at Kinkoâ€™s. I used different silver 5x7 frames for the table names.

Guest Book:

I used a large photo album and had guests sign on one page and then on the corresponding side, Iâ€™m going to put a picture of the person who signed. I had a friend in charge of snapping pics of people as they arrived at the ceremony. She didnâ€™t get pics of all of them, but I should have a picture of everyone from some point in the evening. I am also including the postcards that were included in the gift bags in the photo album guest book as well.

Attached Files

Gift Bags: (We had 100 guests and put together 60 bags. One per room, or one per single person if they were sharing a room.)

We used standard paper kraft bags from Paper Mart - Best for Less. (Size Cub) I bought a big stack of multicolored tissue paper from Michaelâ€™s and carried it down with me in my suitcase. We also included a â€œJust in Caseâ€ pouch in the gift bags (see contents below), and I used these little pouches from PaperMart which worked out well. Paper Mart - Best for Less - Velour Bags

For the gift bag tag, I used the same design as the STD and tied them to the bags using ribbon.

Gift Bag Contents:

Welcome Letter: (very plain and generic)

[b]Cancun Postcard]/b]: We purchased these on our site visit, took them home and addressed them with our address, then purchased stamps at the hotel gift shop and stamped them and put them in the gift bags. We asked our guests to write us a note and drop it off at the reception as they departed. It has been such fun to see these trickle in as weâ€™ve come home from our honeymoon and I canâ€™t wait to add them to the guestbook! (A favorite is one from a 5 year old cousin who drew a princess (and labeled it as me) in a castle with a prince on a horse (labeled as DH) coming to rescue me. Too cute!!!)

Snacks: All purchased at the Costco in Cancun. Two bottles of water per bag, 1 snack size bag of chips, 1 snack size bag of M&M cookies, 1 packet of gum, 1 candy bar (special St. Louis chocolate brought from home).

CD:
Song 1 â€“ Joshua Radin â€“ Lovely Tonight
Song 2 â€“ Coldplay â€“ Strawberry Swing
Song 3 â€“ Joshua Radin â€“ Today
Song 4 â€“ Josh Kelley â€“ Bound to Keep Movinâ€™
Song 5 â€“ Greg Laswell â€“ How the Day Sounds
Song 6 â€“ Joshua Radin â€“ Iâ€™d Rather Be With You (can you tell we love Radin )
Song 7 â€“ James Taylor - Mexico
Song 8 â€“ Ben Kweller â€“ Run
Song 9 â€“ Tim Myers â€“ The Good Life
Song 10 â€“ Ray Charles â€“ Ainâ€™t That Love (also our first dance song)
Song 11 â€“ Jason Mraz â€“ Make it Mine
Song 12 â€“ Rodrigo y Gabriela â€“ Tamacun
Song 13 â€“ Nouvelle Vague â€“ I Just Canâ€™t Get Enough
Song 14 â€“ Robert Randolph â€“ Love is the Only Way
Song 15 â€“ Rodrigo y Gabriela â€“ Vikingman
Song 16 â€“ The Bellamy Brothers â€“ Let Your Love Flow
Song 17 â€“ Roger Creager â€“ Long Way to Mexico
Song 18 â€“ Robert Earl Keen â€“ Iâ€™m Cominâ€™ Home (we were long distance for a LONG time)
Song 19 â€“ Jackopierce â€“ May the Road Rise to Meet You (symbolic as a blessing for our guests â€“ weâ€™re Irish!)

Did I forget anything?? I should be getting my pro pics soon, so Iâ€™m sure there will be some pics of centerpieces and such as well. I was a minimalist with the flowers, but I think everything turned out beautifully!! I will post more pics when I get them. Good luck to all who are still planning!! Congrats!!